World Court rules against Greece in Macedonia case

A general view of the Great Hall of Justice where the International Court of Justice delivers its ruling in a dispute between Greece and Macedonia over Athens' veto of Macedonia's bid for NATO membership in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
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A general view of the Great Hall of Justice where the International Court of Justice delivers its ruling in a dispute between Greece and Macedonia over Athens' veto of Macedonia's bid for NATO membership in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
/ AP

Presiding Judge Hisashi Owada, second right, reads the ruling of the International Court of Justice in a dispute between Greece and Macedonia over Athens' veto of Macedonia's bid for NATO membership in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday Dec. 5, 2011. Others are Judge Keith, left, vice president Judge Tomka, second left, and Judge Simma, right. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)— AP

Presiding Judge Hisashi Owada, second right, reads the ruling of the International Court of Justice in a dispute between Greece and Macedonia over Athens' veto of Macedonia's bid for NATO membership in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday Dec. 5, 2011. Others are Judge Keith, left, vice president Judge Tomka, second left, and Judge Simma, right. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
/ AP

Greece's ambassador Georges Savvaides, left, agent Maria Telalian, center, and professor of international law James Crawford, right, wait for the International Court of Justice to deliver its ruling in a dispute between Greece and Macedonia over Athens' veto of Macedonia's bid for NATO membership in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)— AP

Greece's ambassador Georges Savvaides, left, agent Maria Telalian, center, and professor of international law James Crawford, right, wait for the International Court of Justice to deliver its ruling in a dispute between Greece and Macedonia over Athens' veto of Macedonia's bid for NATO membership in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
/ AP

Macedonia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Poposki, third from left, and MP Antonio Miloshoski, second left, wait for the International Court of Justice to deliver its ruling in a dispute between Greece and Macedonia over Athens' veto of Macedonia's bid for NATO membership in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. The Greek delegation is seated in the background right. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)— AP

Macedonia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Poposki, third from left, and MP Antonio Miloshoski, second left, wait for the International Court of Justice to deliver its ruling in a dispute between Greece and Macedonia over Athens' veto of Macedonia's bid for NATO membership in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. The Greek delegation is seated in the background right. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
/ AP

A general view of the Great Hall of Justice where the International Court of Justice delivers its ruling in a dispute between Greece and Macedonia over Athens' veto of Macedonia's bid for NATO membership in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)— AP

A general view of the Great Hall of Justice where the International Court of Justice delivers its ruling in a dispute between Greece and Macedonia over Athens' veto of Macedonia's bid for NATO membership in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
/ AP

Greece's ambassador Georges Savvaides, left, agent Maria Telalian, second left, and professor of international law James Crawford, third from left, rise as presiding judge Hisashi Owada, far right, enters the Great Hall of Justice where the International Court of Justice delivered its ruling in a dispute between Greece and Macedonia over Athens' veto of Macedonia's bid for NATO membership in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)— AP

Greece's ambassador Georges Savvaides, left, agent Maria Telalian, second left, and professor of international law James Crawford, third from left, rise as presiding judge Hisashi Owada, far right, enters the Great Hall of Justice where the International Court of Justice delivered its ruling in a dispute between Greece and Macedonia over Athens' veto of Macedonia's bid for NATO membership in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
/ AP

Macedonia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Poposki, third from left, and MP Antonio Miloshoski, second left, professor of law Philippe Sands, far left, Greece's ambassador Georges Savvaides, fourth from left, agent Maria Telalian, fifth from left, and professor of international law James Crawford, sixth from left, rise as judges enter the Great Hall of Justice where the International Court of Justice delivered its ruling in a dispute between Greece and Macedonia over Athens' veto of Macedonia's bid for NATO membership in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. The Greek delegation is seated in the background right. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)— AP

Macedonia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Poposki, third from left, and MP Antonio Miloshoski, second left, professor of law Philippe Sands, far left, Greece's ambassador Georges Savvaides, fourth from left, agent Maria Telalian, fifth from left, and professor of international law James Crawford, sixth from left, rise as judges enter the Great Hall of Justice where the International Court of Justice delivered its ruling in a dispute between Greece and Macedonia over Athens' veto of Macedonia's bid for NATO membership in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. The Greek delegation is seated in the background right. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
/ AP

Macedonia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Poposki, second left, and MP Antonio Miloshoski, left, Greece's ambassador Georges Savvaides, third from right, agent Maria Telalian, second right, and professor of international law James Crawford, far right, wait for judges to enter the Great Hall of Justice where the International Court of Justice delivered its ruling in a dispute between Greece and Macedonia over Athens' veto of Macedonia's bid for NATO membership in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. The Greek delegation is seated in the background right. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)— AP

Macedonia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Poposki, second left, and MP Antonio Miloshoski, left, Greece's ambassador Georges Savvaides, third from right, agent Maria Telalian, second right, and professor of international law James Crawford, far right, wait for judges to enter the Great Hall of Justice where the International Court of Justice delivered its ruling in a dispute between Greece and Macedonia over Athens' veto of Macedonia's bid for NATO membership in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. The Greek delegation is seated in the background right. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
/ AP

THE HAGUE, Netherlands 
The world court ruled Monday that Greece was wrong to block Macedonia's bid to join NATO in 2008 because of a long-running dispute over the fledgling country's use of the name "Macedonia."

In a 15-1 ruling, the court found that Greece's veto breached a 1995 deal under which Greece had agreed not to block Macedonia's membership in international organizations if it used the name "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" while the matter was submitted to U.N. mediation. More than 15 years later, discussions over the name are still unresolved.

Although the question of Macedonia's name is sometimes seen as superficial by outsiders, it is a matter of deep concern for both sides. The young country has used the name in one form or another since shortly after World War II, when it was a province of Yugoslavia, but Greece sees use of the name as historically inaccurate at best and a potential threat to its territorial integrity at worst.

Monday's victory is largely symbolic since the court didn't order Greece to alter its stance in the future.

The U.N.'s highest court, formally known as the International Court of Justice, found that the ruling itself "constitutes appropriate satisfaction" for The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, said presiding Judge Hisashi Owada, reading the written decision.

But the ruling does lends moral weight to the small country's protests that Greece's moves to block it from joining NATO and the European Union are unfair.

Ordinary Macedonians appeared pleased.

"Finally, a little justice for Macedonia!" said housewife Marina Stevcevska, 49, after hearing of the ruling.

"After years of disappointments for this country, finally we have received a good news, somebody to tell Greece that it is doing wrong, that is enough", she said.

Meanwhile, about 150 members of an ultra-right group in held a demonstration in central Athens protesting the court decision, waving flags and chanting nationalist slogans. A few dozen people took part in a similar protest in the northern city of Thessaloniki, shouting "Greece belongs to the Greeks."

Outside the courtroom, Greece's Dutch Ambassador Ioannis Economides urged Macedonia "to resist using today's decision to subvert the negotiations," and NATO Chief Fogh Rasmussen said in Brussels that Macedonia still won't be admitted to the alliance until the name issue is resolved.

Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov said Greece should "respect the judgment of the International Court of Justice."

"For the time being, we do not want to look through the categories of winners and losers," he said, promising to continue the negotiations.

Though colloquial use of calling the country "Macedonia" has grown, U.N. documents refer to it consistently as "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia," while Greece refers to it by the acronym "FYROM" - apparently to avoid even mentioning the word "Macedonia" in relation to the country. The country calls itself the "Republic of Macedonia."

U.N. envoy Matthew Nimetz said Monday he had urged both countries "to view this event as an opportunity to think constructively about their mutual relationship and to consider a renewed initiative to reach a definitive solution to the 'name' issue."